All You Need To Know About High-Risk Pregnancy

Pregnancy test means concerns for one’s baby. One would like to have a healthy baby. The focus is on the child’s well-being. It is therefore quite normal for expecting parents to feel shocked, stressed as well as scared in case they are informed that their pregnancy is high risk.

Several issues during pregnancy can be treated as well as managed to have a healthy mom and a healthy baby. High-risk pregnancy is of much concern to couples who are to be parents.

WHAT IS A HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY?

A pregnancy is a high risk in case there is an above average chance of complications, either for the mom or baby, on account of conditions that tend to affect health during pregnancy, delivery or even after the child is born. Very few of such conditions are actually life-threatening. In fact, doctors may also label a pregnancy as high risk for relatively minor issues.

It is also possible for risk to fluctuate throughout pregnancy. For instance, women over 35 are automatically placed in the high-risk category as they have a higher chance of giving birth to a child with a genetic disorder, such as Down syndrome. But if fetal testing results do show that the baby has no abnormalities, then mother’s status will be adjusted to normal risk.

WHAT MAKES A PREGNANCY HIGH RISK?

Factors that can bump up the chance of complications during pregnancy do include:

• Being older than 35. At this given age, mothers do have a higher chance of delivery complications. The risk of giving birth to a baby suffering from a genetic disorder does increase after age 35.
• Smoking, drinking alcohol or making use of drugs. This can indeed lead to birth defects and other health issues for one’s baby.
• Being overweight or rather obese. On the contrary, women who are underweight may also face the possibility of high risk pregnancy.
• Having high blood pressure. Uncontrolled hypertension during pregnancy does increase the chance of preeclampsia and even low birth weight.
• Being diabetic. High blood sugar levels can indeed lead to birth defects early on in the pregnancy.
• Carrying multiples. Being pregnant with twins, triplets or more can indeed up the risk of premature birth.
• Having had a prior pregnancy complication. In case a previous baby was delivered via c-section, had a low birth weight, or was born prematurely, the chance of problems with future pregnancies can indeed increase.
• Having other existing health issues. Kidney, autoimmune as well as thyroid diseases may all set a woman up for a more complicated pregnancy.

WHAT A HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY MEANS FOR ONESELF AND BABY?

For many women who indeed have to cope up with a high-risk pregnancy, are placed under a greater microscopic observation when they are expecting.

Not only routine prenatal visits are recommended, but even tests are also conducted. If one has hypertension, one may need to see one’s doctor regularly for blood pressure readings for instance.

The baby will be monitored closely since high-risk pregnancies can indeed set the fetus up for complications such as low or high birth weight, birth defects and—in rare cases—the risk of death before or after delivery. In case one’s regular obstetrician is not able to manage the pregnancy, one may be referred to a high-risk pregnancy doctor, such as a maternal fetal medicine doctor. Due to the increased number of complicated pregnancies, it is safer to deliver in a hospital setting with the help of a medical team.

HOW TO LOWER HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS

If one has been diagnosed as having a high-risk pregnancy, following such steps can indeed help to set up for the best possible outcome—a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby:

• Stick to good-for-you habits. The usual lifestyle dos and don’ts that are recommended for any pregnancy can indeed also benefit one’s baby’s health during a high-risk pregnancy. One must get sufficient sleep, eat healthy taking a varied diet, exercise regularly, and avoid smoking as well as drinking.
• Manage one’s health. Now more than ever it is also important to keep good health conditions such as high blood pressure as well as diabetes under control. It is advisable to discuss with one’s doctor and then plan out.
• Manage stress. One does get scared and stressed out when one is pregnant. One feels anxious as one does want to deliver a healthy baby. Baby’ health is important. Stress levels can indeed impact baby’s nervous system nervous system, both during and after birth. It is better indeed to go in for relaxation techniques such as meditation or listening to music, and meet up to one’s doctor if one is rather unable to control one’s anxiety level.
• Parents do need to stay informed. They must feel they are in control of the pregnancy. One must also be able to handle or rather cope up with high-risk pregnancy.